Machine for packing articles in boxes



July 14, 1936. w. D. KIMBALL ET Al.

MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES 13 Sheets-Sheet 1 l July 14, 1936. wl D.`K|MBALL ET Al. 2,047,272

u MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES l v Filed sep. 15, 1951 is sheets-sheet 2 N- ab @Q "5 'IN ENroRs C, E i

BY MMM July 14, 1936. w. D. KIMBALL ET AL i 2,047,272

MACHINE FOR PACKING RTICLES IN BOXES Filed Sepi. l5, 1931 13 Sheets-Sheet 3 d @as zy July 14, 1936. w D. KIMBALI. ET Al. 2,047,272

MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES INVBOXES Filed Seprl 15,. '1931.

13 sheds-sheet 4 mlmm Y igt/mh ATTORN EY5 July 14,1936.. w. D. KIMBALL ET Al. I MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES l5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INV NTORS ATTORNEYS July 14, 1936. w` D. K|MBALL ET AL MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES Filed Sept. l5, 1931 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEYS July 14, 1936. w. D. KIMBALL ET Al.

MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES Filed Sept. 15, 1931 15 Sheets-Sheet '7 u AN MNA Q I INVENTOR 4 BY Qa/MEM )714,73 M u M ATTORNEYS July 14,V A1936- `w. D. KIMBALL ET`A1.

MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES Filed Sept. l5, 1951 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 NWA Q July 14,1936` w. D. KIMBALI. ET Al. 2,047,272

MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXESl v Filed Sept. l5, 1931 l5 Sheets-Sheet 9 i\\ Xp I @l yZINXENTORS l M x ATTORNEYS July 14, 1.936. w. D. KlMBALL ET AL MACHINELFOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES Filed sept. 15, 1931 13 Sheets-Sheet 1'0 ff; INVENTOR I BY www@ l WIM-,Qn l.

V-Zw'w ATTORNEYS July M, E93.. W. D. KHMBALL ETAL MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTIQLES IN BOXES Filed sept. 15, 1931 13 sheets-sheet 11 l VENTOR S' ATTORN EYS Judy M, I3@ W. D. KIMBALLET ALl MACHINE FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES Fi1ed sept. 15, 1951 13 Sheets-Sheet l2 www,

ATTORNEYS July 14, 1-936. w, D. KIMBALI.- ET Al. 1. 2,047,272

MACHINE FOR PACKING' ARTICLES IN BOXES Filed sept. 15, 1951 15 sheets-Sheet 15 II 'im I INVENTORS ATTORNEYS .Patented July 14, 1936- UNITED OFFICE MA FR PACKING IECLES IN BOXES Application September 15, 193i. Seri No. 562,922

This invention relates to machinesfor pac Fehlt articles in cartons or packing cases, and has lor' its object to provide a machine oi this class which will successfully handle all lrlnds ci articles ci generally rectangular configuration which are coonly shipped in breboard or corrugated hoard cartons. Speciiic articles ot the hind in question are soap,A sardine cans and other "square cans, and particularly small cartons or packages of all kinds of commodities such as cereals, starch, soap powder and the like.

Various machines have heretofore been devised i301' packing articles of this hind, hut until recently such machines have not heen in extensive use tor the reason that a' machine designed to handle one particular commodity was seldom found to be suitable vfor any other type of fu odity, theredit dit

by so limiting the eld of utility of each particular machine as not to warrant the expense ot dengn and manufacture.

The machine'oi the present invention is de-rl signed to handle all the various hinds ci articles above mentioned, and is readily adjustable to articles of different dimensions.

The machine ci the present application is spen eincally an improvement on a modidcation oi the machine forming the subject-matter oi our copending application Serial No. tahiti, died Etchruary 28, 1930. The machine oi this application and the machine ci our prior case have in common the provision of means for grouping together a plurality of articles in superimposed layers to form a charge corresponding in dimensions with the interior oi the carton or hon to he idlied and thereafter projecting the assembled charge into the carton.

in the machine of our prior application the articles to be packaged are brought to the position l ot assembly by a belt conveyor which discharges them onto a table adjacent the carton supporting devices. 'As each layer of articles is discharged onto the table, the table is lowered the thickness oi one layer of articles, thereby allowing a succeeding layer to loe superimposed on the iirst layer, and so on until the desired numher ot layers have been brought together to iorin the charge.

in the machine of our present application the layers of articles are superimposed one on the other on a receiving table, but in this case, instead oi lowering the table step by step as the articies are placed thereon, the table is stationary and the conveyor belt is elevated -at its discharge end in successive steps corresponding to the thickness oi the articles, to thereby. as before. assemble the charge of articles in superimposed layers ior (ci. {ne-nn) insertion as a unit into the carton. This modication of our prior machine has certain-advantages under slome conditions over the original design as will be hereinafter pointed out.

in the accompanying drawings, we have illusy trated a preferred embodiment of our improved machine, 'and in the said drawings,

Fig. l is a plan view of our improved machine. certain parts being in section of line l-l oi Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View o n the correspondingly numbered line of Fig.4 l;

Fig. 3 is an end View partlyv in section looking from the left of Fig. l; Fig. e is a detail view of the one-way clutc Ashown in Fig. 3 with the parts in operative position;

Fig. 2 and Fig. 13; Y

.'i'igs. 6, '7, 8, 9 and l0 are detail views partly in section on the correspondingly numbered lines ci Fig. i3, showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the iced conveyor of the machine;

Figs. il and i2 are detail views on an enlarged scale of parts of the conveyor-elevating mechy amsm;

Figs. i3, it and l5 are horizontal sectional views on the correspondingly numbered lines oi Fig. 9 showing diderent parts of the driving mechanism oithe machine;

Fig. i6 is a detail `view of the double cam meniber forming part of the driving mechanism;

Fig. l? is a sectional detail View on line ill-li ci Fig. i8 showing the article-actuated control mechanism iorinitiating the movement oi the feed conveyor;

iiig. it is a horizontal View on line lt-it oi iiig. i7;

mg. i9 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale ci the electric control mechanism;

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic view showing the control circuits;

Mge. 2l, 22 and 23 are detail views ot the carton-charging mechanism showing the parts in diiierent positions of operation; and

Figs. 2i, 25, 26 and 27 are detail views showing a modified iorm ci control mechanism where-l y in each individual row of articles actuates its own swltch.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates the trame ci the machine and comprises a table of generally rectangular configuration. The table has an extension i projecting from the middle of one side and supporting a conveyor section i on which the articles to be packaged are advanced into the ii'ig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line t-t ci dit dit

machine. The conveyor 3 is a continuously operated belt conveyor and may be of a width to accommodate any desired number of rows of articles, for example three rows, as shown in the drawings. The belt is supported at its outer end,

that is, the end remote from the frame I, by a 'are supported at their ends adjacent the frame I upon a vertically shiftable carriage 9. The carriage S overhangs the top of the table I in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement being such that as `the frame 9 is moved up and down by the mechanism hereinafter described, the pulley I0 which supports the inner end of the conveyor is moved up and down above the table in a vertical plane. The outer end of the conveyor supported by the roller 4 is xed against vertical movement, the links 5, however, permitting suilicient play horizontally to provide for the straight line movement of the pulley I0.

The belt 3 is provided with a belt tightener II and extending along the top of the supporting frame over the belt are guide rods I2 for maintaining the articles to be packaged in three separate rows. The belt frame is also provided with an overhanging roller I3 and guide plate I4 for holding the packages in place as they are advanced into the article-assembling frame I5.

The article-assembling frame is stationarily supported on top of the table I and comprises a ,series of shelves I6, here shown as flve in number, spaced apart a distance to allow clearance of the articles between the shelves and of an area to support a complete layer of articles. For example, in the machine shown, the shelves or flights or the assembly 'frame I5 are of dimensions corresponding to nine articles, that is to say. the shelves I6 are large enough to accommodate three rows of three with sufficient space outside the shelves for the four uprights Il which form the vertical members of the assembly frame to lie without the space occupied by the assembled rows of articles.

Between the uprights I'I the sides of the assembly frame are open on all four sides. The articles are delivered onto the shelves I6 by the belt 3 through one open side of the frame and are ejected through a second open side at right angles to the side of entry by means of a plunger I8. The plunger I8 carries a series of heads IBa, one for each shelf, and is mounted for reciprocation on top of the table I to eifect the projection of the assembled layers of articles from the assembly frame I5 into the carton supported at the vthird side of the frame. At this side of the frame the shelves I6 may, if desired, be provided with extensions or ights I6a, as shown in Fig. 5, to better guide the articles into the cartons.

At the fourth side of the frame I 5 there is arranged a stepped stop plate I9 against which the articles are fed by the belt 3. This stop plate serves to position the rows of articles with respect to each other so as to provide clearance' for the articles on the shelves from those on the conveyor as the articles are ejected from the frame by the plunger I8. Also mounted at the fourth side of the frame and projecting through the plate I9 are a series of movable contact-buttons 2l arranged vertically in line with each other in position to be engaged by the endmost articles in the rows, adjacent the plunger, as shown more particularly 'in Fig. l. These contact members serve to initiate the operation of the mechanism for lifting the cross head 9 which supports the free end of the feed belt and has for its purpose to elevate the feed belt to project a second layer of articles in the machine only when the preceding or underlying layer is complete.

It will be understood that the machine of the present application is designed to be used in conjunction with an article-assembling machine such as shown in the co-pending application of Cornelius I. Braren, Ser. No. 501,512, filed December 11, 1930, wherein the articles to be packaged are received from the labeling machine or other machine which performs the nal operation for the article, are grouped together in rows of three each and advanced toward the packaging unit as separate rows. each row consisting always of three articles.

When the contact-button 20 of the first layer of articles is shifted to close the contact, which takes place when three rows of articles have been projected onto the first shelf vI6 of the assembly frame, the operating mechanism of the cross head 9 is set in motion to thereby raise the cross head a distance corresponding to the distance between the shelves I 6 and thereby bring the feed belt opposite the second shelf. The mechanism for operating the cross head 9 is designed to come to rest at the completion of each upward step in its movement and remain at rest until the next movable contact-button 20 is operated by the advance of the articles into the frame to again close the contacts and eifect the second upward step in its movement. When, however, the topmost movable contact-button 20 is shifted to close the circuit mechanism is set in operation to effect the lowering of the cross head to its bottom position to thereby bring the belt in line with the lowermost shelf of the assembly frame. At the same time the mechanism for operating the plunger I'B is set in motion to thereby eject the assembled articles from the assembly frame I 5 the carton which in the meantime has been placed by hand over the funnel 2| supported in fixed position alongside the assembly frame, as will be clear from Fig. 1. At the completion of the movement of the plunger I8 the plunger-actuating mechanism will again remain at rest until a further complete charge of articles has been assembled, when it will be again actuated to deliver an entire charge into the next carton placed upon the funnel.

The articles win be delivered onto the belt 3 from the assembling machine of the above-mentioned co-pending application in rows of three, but if the plant is not working to capacity the rows will be separated by varying distances depending upon the rapidity with which the articles are delivered to the assembling machine. 'I'he mechanism of this application is designed to receive such irregularly advanced rows of three and place them in complete layers in the cartons.

' The machine will not operate to discharge the assembled articles into cartons until the final complete layer has been positioned on the top shelf of the frame.

The mechanism for operating the cross head 3 is illustrated primarily in Figs. 6-12. The cross head 3 is supported on the top of a vertical rod or column 22 mounted in suitable bearings in thi machine frame. Also carried by the cross 7.5

2,i)4'7,2"i heade is a second vertically depending column 23 `of the rod 25 through a space at least equal to the distance between the columns whereby on the return or downward movement of the arm 2i the vcollar just engaged by the pawl 26 will be caught .by a fixed pawi 2l to thereby maintain the cross head in the position to which it has been elevated i by the movement of the arm 25.

The rock arm is operated by means oi a. crank 2t mountedgonthe shaft 29 and operated intermittently through one complete revolution by means of a stop clutch til illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4.

The clutch it coicnprises a driving sprocket loose on the shaft and driven continuously from the main shaft tl. the sprocket and its driving chain being indicated in dot-and-dashllnes tt in Figs.' 3 and 4. Attached to the sproclzet tt is a continuously driven toothed wheel t3 into eny gagement and co-operating with the toothed Vwheel is a pawl dit carried by an arm itt fast to the shaft til. The pawl til is controlled by means of a toggle tt and a rock arm tl carrying a roller tt which, when the toggle is bent as illustrated in Fig. t, is withdrawnfrom engagement with the pawl til to thereby allow the teeth oi the pawl to project into the path oi the teethof the dish 33. When the toggle is straightened the roller it is projected into the path of the projecting end of the pawl to thereby engage the pawl and withdraw it trom engagement with the teeth ci the dist: :it and stop the rotation of the shalt til. il. backlash stop is provided to hold the shalt against reverse movement when it is brought to/-rest by the engagement of the end oi the pawl til with 'the roller tt.

'solenoid iiihthe circuit through which is closed by the movement of the contact-buttons tin When the circuitl is open the weight oi the vcore ti serves to straighten thejtoggle to the position "shown in Fig. 3 to thereby hold the pawl out ot engagement with the toothed dislr tt. when the circuit'is closed the solenoid raises the rod til, thereby breaking the toggle and allowing the pawl to engage the toothed dist.. Therotation of the shaft it serves to raise the cross head t through the crank 2t shown in Fig. 8 and pre viously described, and means are provided whereby the movement of the cross head serves to immediately break the circuit through the solenoid to thereby straighten the toggle and stop the ro-u tation of the shaft it at the completion of a sin gle revolution. To this end the contacts fit. through which the circuit is closed by means oi the buttons, are carried by a vertically shittable plate tt, which plate is connected by a cable titi to a bar it (see Fig. 2) xed'on the cross head t. the cable being trained overa series oi pulleys till so that the plate tt will be elevated with the lcross head il and thus break the circuit through =come to rest opposite the next button it in position tor the circuit to be closed and the operation repeated when a full layer of articles has been assembled on the next shelf I6. The details or the contact mechanism are shown in Figs. 17, la and 19. Each article operated contact consists oi a metal plate 8D spring-supported on a rocker 8i carried by a shaft extending between two upright frame members 82. The button 2i) of cach contact is guided for horizontal movement in one of the frame members 82 and is loosely pivoted to the rocker 8i which is weighted so as to normallyhold the button in projected position and the plate away from the contacts t3.. The carriage M for the contacts i3 is mounted for vertical movement on the flanges of the uprights d2 and consists primarily of a sheet oi insulating material in which the contacts it are imbedded in spaced relation so as to be bridged by the plate til when the buttons are pressed outwardly by the articles on the shelves i6. l

As stated above, means are provided to lower the cross head after the complete number of layers have been assembled in the frame ib. This movement is accomplished by means of a pawl clutch tt, the parts of which are brought into driving engagement through a. trip arm. tt carried by the lowerend o the column til carrying the spaced collars 2t. This trip arm 5b (see Figs. 9 and lil) is positioned to engage a collar iii carried by a rool d2 which is mounted for vertical movementin a suitable guide carried by the niachine rrame and is attached at its lower end to a lever at (see Fig. 6) whose free end extends into a posltionto be projected into the path of movement of the projecting end of the pawl tit constituting the driven member of the clutch tit. The pawl is carried by an arm tti attached to the shaft lil supported within the machine frame adjacent the shait iid.

The driving member of the clutch Alt comprises a notched dish bil and a gear bil driven :from the shalt @t by means of a gear tit attached to that shalt. lilhus the gear bt is rotated only when the shaft llt is rotated and the shaft til is rotated only whenthe cross head has been elevated to its uppermost position and the trip lever bil shifted by means ci the rod bf2 to release the pawl 5b and thereby permit the parts of the clutch it to be brought into engagement.

The mechanism for lowering the cross head comprises a crank arm td (see Figs. @and lil) attached to a shaft di extending transversely of the machine trame alongside the column tt, the

shaft di being rotated from the shaft ill! through lili the medium. of a sprocket chain lila. The parts are so designed that the shaft 5l and with it the shaft di will be given one complete revolution oi the shaft lit, which shaft is given two consecutive rotationsv without interruption at 'the completion' oi the upward movement of the cross head.

The crank arm tb carries at its outer end a roller which in the uppermost position of the crank arm shown in Fig. l0 engages beneath a. shoett and at the lower end of a pivoted rod tt depending from the cross head. This is the normal inoperative position of the cranlr arm and as the cross head d is elevated to its topmost 'position the inclined upper face of the shoe di will cause the rod tt to swing aside to allow the shoe to engage over the roller G2. As the arm. tit commences its rotation the pawls 2t and ill are released so that the cross head is supported only by the shoe 61 and is thereby lowered by the continued movement -of the crank arm 60. as will be clear from Fig. 10 wherein the successive positions of the parts are indicated in dotted lines During the downward movement of the cross head the pawls 26 and 21 are shifted out of engagement with the collar 24 and are held out of the path of movement of the collars so as not to interfere with the downward movement of the cross head.

The mechanism for releasing the pawls cohsists of a cam 65 attached to the shaft 6|, this mechanism being shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 1l and 12. The raised portion of the cam 65 is positioned to clear its co-operating roller 66 at the beginningof the rotation ofthe shaft 6| to thereby release the pawl before .the arm 60 has moved appreciably. This roller 66 is supported on the end of a rock arm 61 pivoted on the machine frame at 68. Attached to the depending end of the rock arm in position to be engaged by a roller 69 carried by the pawl 26 is a cam 10 of a length somewhat greater than the up and down movement of the pawl 26. face of the cam 10 normally lies out of engagement with the roller 69, but when the arm 61 is rocked by its spring 10a when released by the cam 65 the surface of the cam 10 is projected into the path of movement by the roller 69 so that on the descending movement of the pawl 26 the roller will engage the cam track 10 and move the pawl 26 out of engagement with the collar 24.

In order to simultaneously release the pawl 21 so that the cross head 9 may descend with the crank 62 the rock arm 61 is provided with a second roller 1| (see Fig. 12) overlying an arm 12 on the pivot of the pawl 21'. Hence as the rock arm 61 is actuated to project the cam 10 into the path of the roller 69 carried by the pawl 26, the roller 1| will press downwardly on the arm 12 and thereby release the pawl 21.

The pawls 26 and 21 are held open throughout the completion of the movement of the crank arm 60, which occurs when the crank pin and roller 62 have lbeen brought to their lowermost position as shown in Fig. 9. On its further rotation to its normal inoperative position the arm 60 will move away from the shoe 62 leaving the cross head in its lowermost position with the belt in registry with the bottom shelf of the assembly frame. When the shafts 51 and 6| have made one complete rotation the pawl of the clutch 49 will again come into engagement with the trip lever 54, thereby disengaging the clutch and stopping the rotation of the shafts 51 and 6|. When the cross head 9 has been brought to its lowermost position the continued rotation of the shaft 6| and the cam 65 will elevate the free end of the rock arm 61 to thereby release the pawls -26 and 21, and the parts will be in position to resume the step-by-step upward movement of the cross head under the control of the switch butto'ns 20.

To prevent damage to the articles during the movement of the cross head 9 from one shelf to the other of the assembly frame it is desirable to momentarily stop the movement of the feed belt 3. To this end the drive shaft 6 for the feed belt is driven from the main shaft. 3| through the medium of a ratchet clutch carried by a shaft extending in parallelism with the main shaft 3| at the side of the machine away from the carton-supporting funnel, that is, at the right of the machine as shown in Fig. 3, beneath the feed The` plungers. 'I'he driving member Il of this clutch (see Fig. 2) is continuously driven through sprocket 81 from the main shaft 3|, and when the clutch is in engagement serves to continuously drive the shaft 85, which in turn through the beveledy gears 88 and sprocket chain 89, drives the shaft 6 for operating the feed belt.

The driven member 90 of the clutch iscarried at the end of a sleeve 9| which is keyed to the shaft 85 and is normally held in engagement with the driving member of the clutch by a spring 92. The clutch is disconnected by shifting the sleeve longitudinally of the shaft 86 by means of a fork 93 carried by a vertical rockshaft 94 (see Fig. 5) which is operated periodically in synchronism with the cross head operating mechanism to disconnect the clutch.

The mechanism for operating the rock-shaft 94 comprises an arm 96 attached to the rock-shaft 94 near the bottom and provided at its outer end with a roller for engagement with a cam 91 fast to the shaft 29 which, as previously described, is operated through the stop clutch 30 to periodically elevate the cross head 9.

The cam mechanism is shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 15 and 16, and as will be there noted, the cam 91 is a crown cam having a projection 98 which serves to rock the shaft 94 to release the ratchet clutch and hold it open to stop the movement of the feed belt while the cross head 9 is beginning its movement. To effect an immediate stoppage of the feed belt when the clutch is released a friction brake 83 is provided as shown in Fig. 2, the two members of the brake being pressed together by the movement of the sleeve 9| which releases the clutch.

During the downward movement of the cross head the belt 3 is held stationary for a longer period than necessary during the upward steps of its movement. To this end the rock shaft 94 is periodically rocked by a second cam 99 driven from the cross head lowering mechanism. This second cam 99 is enclosed Within the cam 91 and operates on the same cam roller. The cam 99 is loose on the shaft 29 and is driven through a sprocket |00 from the shaft 51 of the stop clutch 49 which operates the cross head lowering mechanism previously described. The length of the cam face of cam 99 and its period of engagement with the roller of the arm 96 is such that the feed belt 3 is stopped during the lowering movement of the cross head 9 and until the plungers I8 have been withdrawn from the assembly-frame.

The plunger I8 for shifting the assembled articles into the carton is operated in synchronism with the cross-head-lowering mechanism and through the same stop clutch. This mechanism is shown particularly in Fig. 5 and comprises a crank |0| carried by the end of the shaft 51 and connected by a link |02 with the lever |03 which is in turn connected with the plunger carriage |04. f

The plunger carriage as shown in Fig. 5 comprises a sleeve mounted for reciprocating movement on a guide rod |05 extending across the top of the table and carrying at its outer end an upright |06 to which the several plungers |8 are attached. To prevent turning of the plunger carriage about its guide rod there is provided an arm |01 projecting laterally from the plunger 70 well as the downward movement of the cross head 75 tol allowing the clutch to become re-engaged so that the feed belt will immediately deliver articles to the second shelf of the assembly frame. This sequence of operations will be repeated until the cross head has been elevated to its uppermost position and a complete layer of articles has been assembled on the top shelf of the assembly frame and the switch button 20 for that shelf has been shifted to break the toggle and again set the machine in motion.

As the cross head 9 is elevated toits uppermost position the trip arm 50 atthe bottom of the column 32 will have engaged the collar 5I on the operating rod 52 of the stop clutch 49, thereby shifting the stop arm 53 out of engagement with the paw] 55 of the clutch 49 so that the stop clutch 49 will be engaged and ready to impart rotation to the shaft 51 as soon as the shaft 29 is again rotated. The rotation of the shaft 29 will commence as soon as the solenoid has been energized through the topmost switch button to break the toggle.

The first effect of the rotation of the shaft 51 at this period of the cycle of operations is to rotate the sprocket of the chain 6Ia which in turn operates the shaft 6I carrying the cam 65 through which the pawls 26 and 21 are disengaged from the collar 24 of the column 23. As the movement of the shaft 29 continues the cross-head-lowering crank will commence its movement from its normal position shown in Fig. 10 in the direction of the arrows, to thereby lower the cross-head without shock to its bottom position shown in Fig. 9. During this movement of the drive shaft 51 of the clutch 49, the plunger I8 will be re ciprocated through the mechanism described thereby shifting the articles forming the charge into the carton on its forward stroke and returning to its normally outer position. -Also during this movement the cam 99 will be rotated to hold the rock-shaft 94 in its operative position for a longer period than otherwise to thereby maintain the circuit closed through the solenoid and also to maintain the clutch of the feed belt open so that the feed belt will not be driven until the cross-head has been returned to its lowermost position ready to deliver the first layer of the next succeeding charge to the bottom shelf of the assembly frame.

It will also be understood that during the period that the charge is being assembled in the frame the attendant has placed a carton over the funnel ready to receive the assembled charge.

One advantage of our improved machine is that it is entirely automatic and will always place a full charge in the carton no matter how irregular the feed of articles to the machine. Another important advantage is that the machine may be operated at a faster speed (reckoned in number of articles packed per minute) than any other machine on the market. One reason for this is that there is no rubbing or scuing of the articles against each other during the operation of the machine. The shelves I6 (together with the flights |641, if they are used) keep the layers separate until the charge is assembled and being shifted as a unit into the machine.

Although the machine is entirely automatic it is nevertheless substantially fool-proof in operation. There is but one article-controlled part on the machine, namely, the solenoid 40. All other parts are positively operated by direct mechanical connections from the main shaft throug the single electrically controlledclutch.

Another important advantage of our machine 'with a crank |34 is that it requires but little adjustment to adapt it to articles of widely different size. Packing cartons are now made principally in a few standard sizes and a change in the dimensions of the article packed usually means a change in the number of articles making up the charge. It is only necessary to change the number and position of the collars 24 on the column 23, and, of course, the plungers I8 and shelves I6, to vary the number of layers of articles in the charge. No change except in the position of the article guides is required to vary the number of articles in the layers, and no change at all is required in the plunger-operating mechanism of the cross-head- Iowering mechanism because of a change in the size of the articles. These mechanisms are operated when the cross-head reaches its topmost position, irrespective of the number of steps required to bring it to that position.

In Figs. 24 to 27 we have illustrated a modified form of mechanism wherein the individual rows of, articles directly operate separaie control switches to thereby insure a complete charge of articles for each carton, even though the articles are fed to the machine in incomplete groups.

Instead of providing individual switch buttons 20 for each shelf as in our previously described machine, there is provided a movable switch box |25 which is shifted at each step in the operation of the machine to a position opposite the next succeeding layer. This switch box |25 is mounted for vertical movement on a carriage |26` slidably supported on a column |21 .projecting upwardly from the machine table to the rear of the assembly frame I5. The movement of the carriage |26 is effected by means of a cable |28 running over pulleys I 29 and attached at its free end to the cross-head 9, so that the switch box will move in unison with the cross-head.

The switch box is moved horizontally as well as vertically at each operation of the cross-head 9 and to this end the switch box |25 is suspended from the carriage |26 by means of parallel links |30 so that the switch box may move toward and from the assembly frame independently of the carriage |26.

This movement of the switch box is effected by means of a vertical operating rod |3| supported at its ends by links |32 mounted on the column |21. The column |21 projects through its bearing on the table top wherein it is mounted for oscillation and at its lower end is provided with a crank arm |33 connected by a suitable link attached to the rock shaft 34 by means of which the driving clutch for the feed belt 3 is controlled. The carriage |26 is held against rotation with the column |21 by means of a fork |35 working on a fixed guide rod |36. l

The switch box |25 contains four separate switches |31 arranged in series as shown in Fig. 27 and each having a projecting button |38 which, at' each vertical movement of the switch box are brought opposite corresponding holes in the rear wall of the assembly frame I5 adjacent each shelf I6 and are then, by the horizontal movement of the box thrust through the holes into position to be engaged by the articles advanced into the frame by the feed belt. As the switches are in series, all four of the rows of articles making up a layer must be complete before the circuit will be closed and the solenoid 40 energized to shift the feed beit to the next shelf.

It will be understood of course that the maf, Buncmay be otherwise modiiied within the scope oi the appended claims.

The expressions article, "layers of, articles etc., are used in the following claims in the ge-` Vare assembled, a conveyor for advancing the articles to the support, means actuated by the articles ior sting said conveyor to superimpose a second group oi articles on the articles previously delivered to the support, means for suprtlng a carton in juxtaposition to said support, and means for discharging the articles from said support into said carton.

3. ln a machine for packaging articles, the combination oi a support on which the articles are assembled. a conveyor for advancing the articlesto the support, and means actuated by the icles Afor sitting said conveyor to superimpose a second group ot articles on the articles previously delivered to the support, said last named means comprising a contact mechanism in position to be engaged by the batch of 'articles delivered to said support, and conveyor-shifting means set in motion by said contact mechanism.

4i. In a chine for packaging. articles, the combination of a support on which the articles are assembledin superimposed arrangement, a

Vconveyor' ior advancing the articles to said support, means tor shifting the conveyor with respect to said support and i'or delivering the articles in successive superimposed groups, means controlled by the articl' for shitting said conveyor, said means comprising a plurality of contacts positioned rmpectively adjacent the superimposed layers oi articles, and means controlled `by said contacts for effecting a step-by-step Y movement oi said conveyor.

vlili 'iii comprising an inde a t. a mace for pacha articles, the combination oi a support, means lor arranging the articles in superimposed layers on said supsaid m comprising a conveyor and means lor elevating the conveyor step-by-step to iced the suedlng layers or articles over the preceding lay of articles, and means actuated by the last layer ol articles ior returning the conveyor to its initial position.

d. ln a machine for packaging articles, the combination oi a support, means for er: nginiif the articles in sumrimposed layers on said support, said means comprising a conveyor and means lor elevating the conveyor step-by-step to leed the succe layers oi articles over the preceding layers oi articles, means actuated by .the last layer oi' articles lor retng the conveyor m its al position, said last named means dent member adapted to engage and support said conveyor at the conclu: sion oi its upward movement, and means ior if; y ylowering said member. y

'l'. lin a ce lor packing articles in car tons, a snpport, means lor assembling on said support a charge oi articles including means for delivering articles to said support, means actuated by the articles for raising said article-dolivering means intermittently step-by-step to a predetermined elevation to thereby arrange said articles in superimposed layers, uindependent means for lowering said article-delivering means at one operation to its original position, and means for discharging the said charge of articles into a carton.

8. llin a machine o the class described, a support, means ior delivering articles to said support, means for raising said article-delivering means intermittently step-by-s'tep to a predetermined elevation to thereby arrange said articles in superimposed layers, independentvmeans :lor

lowering said article-delivering means at one operation to its original position, and means for discharging the assembled articles into a carton, the operation of said last named means4 being initiated by the movement of the last layer ci articles into position over the underlying layer.

9. in a machine of the class described, a support, means for delive articles to said support, means for raising said article-delivering means intermittently step-by-step to a predetermined elevation to thereby arrange said articles in superimposed layers, independent means for lowering said article-delivering means at one operation to its original position, means for discharging the assembled articles into a carton, means actuated by said article-delivering means for setting said last-named meansioroperation,

and means controlled by the movement oi the articles constituting the top layer for initiating said operation.

lo. In a machine oi the class described, a support iorarticles to be packaged, a conveyor for delivering articles to said support, means for raising said conveyor intermittently step-by-step,

means for operating said conveyor only while in stationary position between said step-by-step movements to thereby arrange, the articles on the support in superimposed layers.

ll, lin a machine oi the class described, a support ior receiving a plurality oi articles, a ,conveyor lor delivering the articles to said support, means for intermittently raising said conveyor through successive steps to a predetermined elevation to thereby arrange said articles in superimposed relation, independent means for lowering said conveyor at one operation to its original position, means lor stopping the movement oi the conveyor for a predetermined period while making its step-by-step upward movements, and means ior stopping said conveyor ior a Ylonger period while-said conveyor is being lowered.

l2. lin 'a machine of the class described, a

support on which articles are assembled, means for delivering articles to said support, means controlled by the articles delivered to said support lor periodically shitting said article-delivering means to thereby arrange said articles in superimposed layers, and means lor returning said article-feeding means to its original position alter the desired nber oi layers have been assembled, said last-named means being controlled by the moveentoi the articles matting up the topmost layer.

i3. in a mace oi the class described, the combination oi a support, means ior assembling articles on said support hisnperimposed arrangement, said means comprising a conveyor, means for elevating the conveyor in step-by-step fashion to a predetermined height, a one-rotation stop clutch ior actuating said means, means actuated by said stop clutch for lowering said conveyor, and means controlled by the conveyor for 

